Congressional Cup attracts elite field

Long Beach, CA (April 16, 2015) – An all-star line-up for the 51st edition of the Congressional Cup regatta (May 13-17) is taking shape, with Scott Dickson’s recent selection as Long Beach Yacht Club (LBYC) representative, and the announcement of 2015 World Match Racing Tour card holders.

Dickson – this year racing in his 15th Congressional Cup – will be mixing it up with 11 other sailing greats from around the globe, including a who’s who of the world’s top-ranked skippers, as determined by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF – the yachting world’s organizing authority).

Competing will be current ISAF World Match Racing Champion and two-time Congressional Cup winner Ian Williams, GBR (ranked no. 1); defending Congressional Cup champion Taylor Canfield, ISV (no. 2); Eric Monnin, SUI (no. 4); Bjorn Hansen, SWE (no. 5); Joachim Aschenbrenner, DEN (no. 9); Keith Swinton, AUS (no. 10); Reuben Corbett, NZL (no. 12); Phil Robertson, NZL (no. 13); and Przemeyslaw ‘Tara’ Tarnaki, POL (no. 26) are pledged to compete. Dickson, NZL (no. 167) and two finalists from the Ficker Cup regatta – which concludes May 10 – will round out the contest.

The Congressional Cup represents a half century tradition at the highest level of sailboat racing in the world, however it is a new entry to the World Match Racing Tour; joining this prestigious, 16-year-strong, global match-racing circuit as the 2015 season-opener.

The five day regatta, organized and hosted by LBYC, will be held May 13 to 17, 2015 in Long Beach, Calif.; preceded by three days of Ficker Cup racing to determine the final entrants.

The action – held right off the Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier, in the fair and steady breezes of Long Beach’s outer harbor – will pit each skipper and crew of five in a series of double round robins. Teams will advance over the course of the week to the semi-finals and finals, and an ultimate sudden-death finish for one fortunate winner. Races began around 11AM each day.

The Congressional Cup has been an innovator in the game of match racing since 1965, introducing on-the-water umpiring in the 1988 regatta. The event is renowned for its world-class hospitality and organization, utilizing the talents and energy of a unique volunteer force of more than 300 members of LBYC – one of the premier boating institutions in the United States since 1929. The club and associated Long Beach Sailing Foundation maintain a fleet of identical 37-foot Catalina sloops designed specifically for the event; which guarantees an even platform and exciting competition.

The winning skipper of the Congressional Cup is awarded the coveted Crimson Blazer – an honor bestowed to the top names in sailing over the years, including Ken Read, Gavin Brady, Dennis Conner, Ted Turner, Dean Barker, and more.

Additional information: Congressional Cup – World Match Racing Tour